Phil Knutson, PhD
@philknutson.bsky.social
PhD Industry Chemist ⌬ Organic and Polymer Chemistry ⌬ #chemsky ⌬ Science+Art ⌬ Aspiring Science Communicator ⌬ Views expressed here are my own ⌬
My links: https://linktr.ee/pH.ilustrations
My links: https://linktr.ee/pH.ilustrations
Pinned
For all the folks new to Bluesky and #Chemsky 👋
I’m Phil Knutson, PhD in organic chemistry from UGA, postdoc in polymer chemistry at UNC. I now work as an industrial chemist in front-end R&D/innovation at Milliken in SC. On the side, I make science art! And I have an amazing wife and the best dog 😊
I’m Phil Knutson, PhD in organic chemistry from UGA, postdoc in polymer chemistry at UNC. I now work as an industrial chemist in front-end R&D/innovation at Milliken in SC. On the side, I make science art! And I have an amazing wife and the best dog 😊
Reposted by Phil Knutson, PhD
At my blog, I write more about my concerns for aspiring entering grad students in chemistry for Fall 2026. To reiterate - if you don't have a plan for next fall RIGHT NOW, you need to talk to your professors and advisers and develop a plan NOW: chemjobber.blogspot.com/2025/11/towa...
#chemchat 🧪⚗️
#chemchat 🧪⚗️
Towards a data-informed prediction of Fall 2026 US chemistry PhD admissions | a warning to senior undergraduates
As faithful readers of this blog know, I found the statement that Harvard Chemistry and Chemical Biology was cutting its Fall 2026 entering ...
chemjobber.blogspot.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:27 PM
At my blog, I write more about my concerns for aspiring entering grad students in chemistry for Fall 2026. To reiterate - if you don't have a plan for next fall RIGHT NOW, you need to talk to your professors and advisers and develop a plan NOW: chemjobber.blogspot.com/2025/11/towa...
#chemchat 🧪⚗️
#chemchat 🧪⚗️
Yes, please. And then apply it to both sides of the aisle
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/o...
Opinion | More Democrats Need to Follow Pelosi’s Example and Retire
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Yes, please. And then apply it to both sides of the aisle
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/o...
9-Oxodecenoic acid (9-ODA)!
It’s an unsaturated fatty acid pheromone secreted by honeybee queens (Apis mellifera). It attracts male drones and helps regulate colony structure by suppressing worker ovary development, an effect strengthened by 9-hydroxydecenoic acid. #chemsky #sciart
It’s an unsaturated fatty acid pheromone secreted by honeybee queens (Apis mellifera). It attracts male drones and helps regulate colony structure by suppressing worker ovary development, an effect strengthened by 9-hydroxydecenoic acid. #chemsky #sciart
November 4, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Humulone! 🍻
Humulone is a complex organic acid found in hop resin and plays a huge role in beer bitterness. When hops are boiled during brewing, humulone isomerizes to form iso-alpha acids meaning more soluble and intensely bitter isomers.
And it’s in my beer art! #chemsky #sciart
Humulone is a complex organic acid found in hop resin and plays a huge role in beer bitterness. When hops are boiled during brewing, humulone isomerizes to form iso-alpha acids meaning more soluble and intensely bitter isomers.
And it’s in my beer art! #chemsky #sciart
November 3, 2025 at 4:56 PM
What's the best way to help a mentee get into grad school? I'm in industry and I have a lab tech that is really good and I think he'd do really well in grad school. Do I email professors? Email department grad school coordinators? Don't email anyone? #chemsky
September 24, 2025 at 1:01 PM
What's the best way to help a mentee get into grad school? I'm in industry and I have a lab tech that is really good and I think he'd do really well in grad school. Do I email professors? Email department grad school coordinators? Don't email anyone? #chemsky
Went a took a quick peak at where my chemistry career began!
A summer REU 14 yrs ago and then first year of grad school 12 yrs ago 🤯
A summer REU 14 yrs ago and then first year of grad school 12 yrs ago 🤯
September 9, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Went a took a quick peak at where my chemistry career began!
A summer REU 14 yrs ago and then first year of grad school 12 yrs ago 🤯
A summer REU 14 yrs ago and then first year of grad school 12 yrs ago 🤯
I haven't read for pleasure since... maybe early college. I'm finally getting back into it with audiobooks. Recently. I've read six books of the Red Rising series, six books of the Sun Eater series, working through the Mistborn series, and a hand full of others. All of them are sooo good
July 11, 2025 at 7:45 PM
I haven't read for pleasure since... maybe early college. I'm finally getting back into it with audiobooks. Recently. I've read six books of the Red Rising series, six books of the Sun Eater series, working through the Mistborn series, and a hand full of others. All of them are sooo good
I'm still muting so many accounts lol please make it stop
I liked scrolling through chemsky to see what the chemsky people were up to... Now it's all journals. Just journal articles everywhere lol TOCs and cover pages
July 2, 2025 at 1:08 PM
I'm still muting so many accounts lol please make it stop
Bonus: A storm knocked a large branch onto our roof and now there’s a nice hole letting water into our living room and kitchen 💯
The US and Iran are bombing each other... My company is actively restructuring to get rid of head count... The roof on my house is rotting and needs to be fixed 💰... HOW DO I FOCUS AT WORK 😂🫠
June 26, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Bonus: A storm knocked a large branch onto our roof and now there’s a nice hole letting water into our living room and kitchen 💯
The US and Iran are bombing each other... My company is actively restructuring to get rid of head count... The roof on my house is rotting and needs to be fixed 💰... HOW DO I FOCUS AT WORK 😂🫠
June 23, 2025 at 6:57 PM
The US and Iran are bombing each other... My company is actively restructuring to get rid of head count... The roof on my house is rotting and needs to be fixed 💰... HOW DO I FOCUS AT WORK 😂🫠
Alright, I don't foresee a fix so I'm muting the army of accounts blasting my chemsky feed. Idk how many more RSC articles or JACS cover arts I can handle
I liked scrolling through chemsky to see what the chemsky people were up to... Now it's all journals. Just journal articles everywhere lol TOCs and cover pages
May 15, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Alright, I don't foresee a fix so I'm muting the army of accounts blasting my chemsky feed. Idk how many more RSC articles or JACS cover arts I can handle
Another opportunity for innovation! How do we get natural colors into products and not fall apart in most applications? Either innovate or market to people that color means less biodegradable and environmentally friendly. #chemsky
This week in the C&EN magazine: Is now the time for natural food colors? + A satellite constellation launches a new era of air quality monitoring + FDA’s shift from animal testing opens doors for organoid makers: cen.acs.org/magazine/103... #chemsky🧪
May 15, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Another opportunity for innovation! How do we get natural colors into products and not fall apart in most applications? Either innovate or market to people that color means less biodegradable and environmentally friendly. #chemsky
We have a position open at Milliken to join the amazing Encapsys team in Wisconsin doing microencapsulation! I was just up there visiting them again last week. It's a great group of people. PhDs in materials and polymer chemistry are encouraged to apply! #chemjobs #chemsky
Encapsys Advanced R&D Chemist
Encapsys Advanced R&D Chemist
careers.milliken.com
May 14, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Sign me up! But... I imagine my employer and most others would not say the same. "Hey, make less money by slowing your innovation and manufacturing processes."
Longer working hours have been linked to higher emissions, yet the climate movement seems reluctant to join the campaign for a four-day week—a potential strategic error given the social, health and climate benefits of working less.
My latest for Sower ⬇️🧪.
My latest for Sower ⬇️🧪.
Working less is the most underrated climate solution
Fewer work hours can lower emissions. So why isn’t the climate movement fighting for our collective right to relax?
www.sower.world
May 14, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Sign me up! But... I imagine my employer and most others would not say the same. "Hey, make less money by slowing your innovation and manufacturing processes."
I liked scrolling through chemsky to see what the chemsky people were up to... Now it's all journals. Just journal articles everywhere lol TOCs and cover pages
May 14, 2025 at 11:55 AM
I liked scrolling through chemsky to see what the chemsky people were up to... Now it's all journals. Just journal articles everywhere lol TOCs and cover pages
I got to fly on the company PJ yesterday! We flew to our Encapsys business unit for an internal conference. Not something I ever thought I’d do while in the trenches of grad school ✈️ #chemsky
May 7, 2025 at 11:44 AM
I got to fly on the company PJ yesterday! We flew to our Encapsys business unit for an internal conference. Not something I ever thought I’d do while in the trenches of grad school ✈️ #chemsky
While looking for something else, I stumbled on this interesting back and forth from the early 1970s in C&E News. I read more letters to the editor and the general vibe is men in chemistry and the chemistry community were pretty scummy... #chemsky #womeninchemistry #womeninstem
April 23, 2025 at 7:53 PM
While looking for something else, I stumbled on this interesting back and forth from the early 1970s in C&E News. I read more letters to the editor and the general vibe is men in chemistry and the chemistry community were pretty scummy... #chemsky #womeninchemistry #womeninstem
There's a scientist position open at Encapsys, a part of Milliken & Co. If you're interested in doing some really interesting formulation, materials, and polymer chemistry with a really stellar group of people, apply! #chemjobs #chemsky
careers.milliken.com/job/Appleton...
careers.milliken.com/job/Appleton...
Scientist, Encapsys
Scientist, Encapsys
careers.milliken.com
April 17, 2025 at 12:11 PM
There's a scientist position open at Encapsys, a part of Milliken & Co. If you're interested in doing some really interesting formulation, materials, and polymer chemistry with a really stellar group of people, apply! #chemjobs #chemsky
careers.milliken.com/job/Appleton...
careers.milliken.com/job/Appleton...
Reposted by Phil Knutson, PhD
Thanks so much @philknutson.bsky.social for the awesome art work—it’s found its way to my office 🤩
April 9, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Thanks so much @philknutson.bsky.social for the awesome art work—it’s found its way to my office 🤩
Reposted by Phil Knutson, PhD
You know you're old when you use your lunch break to watch videos on building retaining walls and garden bed edging...
April 7, 2025 at 4:13 PM
You know you're old when you use your lunch break to watch videos on building retaining walls and garden bed edging...